AW: [HSF] Deairing the heart

Ben Bidstrup benjamin.bidstrup at bigpond.com
Mon Mar 5 09:04:13 EST 2007


But we wear it even in those circumstances.

>Wait a minute - we are not the only ones to blame for CVA's.
>
>Though I have no claim to actual data - but how 
>many times have you guys admitted a patient 
>after a cath - and as a little bonus gotten a 
>CVA/TIA or even a good ol' fashion dissection? 
>Unfortunately, sometimes these "problems" are 
>not often obvious for a couple of days after the 
>procedures.......
>
>
>-michael
>
>
>
>On Mar 4, 2007, at 4:10 PM, Ben Bidstrup wrote:
>
>>To get a handle on some of these devices and 
>>techniques, we must look more widely.
>>
>>
>>We cannot even guess at the incidence of 
>>neuropsych damage after valve surgery. All but 
>>a few of the papers have been on CABG patients. 
>>So we do like many other groups, extrapolate 
>>from the many CABG studies done on this. How 
>>representative are these patients of the real 
>>world?  Look at the paper mentioned recently 
>>from van Dijk in JAMA.
>>Does this include use or avoidance of 
>>cardiotomy suction? How is venting handled? 
>>Suck like h..l to keep the heart empty and get 
>>lots of air/blood interface or
>>gently when there is blood pooled.
>>What has happened to the incidence of stroke 
>>over time, perhaps the crudest marker we can 
>>use? Whose data do we use?  That is a question 
>>a brief search was not easily answered. A 
>>report from the New York database on CABG 
>>reported a 1.4% incidence. In a review from 
>>Johns Hopkins on AVR CABG patients (233) there 
>>was an incidence of approx 14% across the 
>>groups with grafts. However no longitudinal 
>>information. (Kobayashi Ann Thorac Surg 
>>2007;83:969-978) .
>>
>>So how do we tell the difference that CO2 
>>displacement, TEE or other maneuvers make? Does 
>>Embolex make a difference? TEA has commented 
>>that we do all sorts of things for all sorts of 
>>reasons.
>>
>>Shann and a team reviewed the evidence for 
>>reduction of neurological injury recent;y 
>>(Shann J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 
>>2006;132:283-290). If we believe in evidence 
>>based medicine than there are a few 
>>recommendations to be looked at. However, TEE 
>>for assessment of de-airing was not included. 
>>Nor was CO2. Many of the studies used applied 
>>only to CABG patients.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>But Roberto how are you certain it is TEE that 
>>>made this difference? I have seen a similar 
>>>argument made by protagonists of blood 
>>>cardioplegia (that better preservation has all 
>>>but eliminated post op VF). There have been 
>>>numerous changes in cardiac surgery in the 
>>>last decade so it would be difficult to 
>>>ascribe an effect to any one change except if 
>>>there is indirect or direct supporting 
>>>evidence.
>>>
>>>Don't get me wrong though - I would not 
>>>envisage surgery without TEE and use it myself 
>>>to deair everyday, but like the axiom goes 
>>>half of what we do at anytime is of no benefit 
>>>and some even harmful - I do not know where 
>>>TEE deairing lies and certainly evidence of 
>>>its benefit is at best circumstantial. However 
>>>on an individual level I take yours and Hal's 
>>>perspective that we should strive to get all 
>>>the air out by whatever means. As Hall said it 
>>>is possible to conduct an operation in a way 
>>>that you do not have air in the heart at the 
>>>end and that is regardless of TEE. TEE is one 
>>>factor but maybe there are many others.
>>>
>>>Ani
>>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>>   From: Dr. Roberto Battellini<mailto:battr at medizin.uni-leipzig.de>
>>>   To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com>
>>>   Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 7:32 AM
>>>   Subject: AW: AW: [HSF] Deairing the heart
>>>
>>>
>>>   Ani,
>>>   I disagree.There is difference before and after TEE.
>>>   Since we make all our valves under TEE, we have reduced significantly the
>>>   number of patients we had to defibrillate 
>>>soon after surgery. We let run the
>>>   needle vent until there are no more bubbles. Of course, it is very
>>>   sensitive.
>>>   Roberto
>>>
>>>   -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>>>   Von: 
>>>openheart-l-bounces at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:openheart-l-bounces at lists.hsforum.com>
>>>   [mailto:openheart-l-bounces at lists.hsforum.com] Im Auftrag von Ani Anyanwu
>>>   Gesendet: Freitag, 2. März 2007 14:10
>>>   An: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com>
>>>   Betreff: Re: AW: [HSF] Deairing the heart
>>>
>>>   But Hal I would question the relevance of subtle neurological changes that
>>>   require a battery of sophisticated tests to demonstrate. A lot of these
>>>   changes IMHO are integral to having artificial extracorporeal circulation
>>>   and indeed MRI studies show changes in many patients with no neurological
>>>   complications. Air and embolism are an integral part of CBP and in most
>>>   cases are likely of no or of minimal consequence. Obviously though we must
>>>   exclude gross air bubbles and our deairing approach, including CO2 and TEE
>>>   is very similar to yours.
>>>
>>>   However, I think to a great degree air is an invention of TEE and most of
>>>   what we see on TEE or strive to achieve with TEE is of little relevance
>>>   above that which can be determined 
>>>clinically as in Novick's practice or in
>>>   the practice of the 1980s. Like you I vent the root up to 15 mins after
>>>   coming of bypass and I suspect in most patients this will be sufficient to
>>>   deal with any rogue bubbles that failed deairing - regardless of the
>>>   presence of TEE.
>>>
>>>   I am not sure there is any direct evidence that the incidence of
>>>   neurological complication or 
>>>neuropsychometric deficit has changed with the
>>>   advent of TEE or that the incidence is different in centers that routinely
>>>   use TEE and centers that don't. Those surgeons in life courses who don't
>>>   seem to deair properly may not necessarily 
>>>be harming their patients. In my
>>>   previous center (Harefield with Yacoub) we 
>>>generally ignored the snowstorms
>>>   seen on TEE and apparently (I know I know) to no consequence.
>>>
>>>   Ani
>>>
>>>
>>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>>     From: 
>>>Hgrmd at aol.com<mailto:Hgrmd at aol.com<mailto:Hgrmd at aol.com<mailto:Hgrmd at aol.com>>
>>>     To: 
>>>OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com>>
>>>     Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 7:33 AM
>>>     Subject: Re: AW: [HSF] Deairing the heart
>>>
>>>
>>>     Bill,
>>>       I'm somewhat surprised that you don't use CO2, because it definitely
>>>   does
>>>     reduce or eliminate air emboli.  Your 
>>>stroke rate is laudible.   However,
>>>   I
>>>     assume you are talking about fixed deficits only.  Air emboli  
>>>often
>>>   present as
>>>     a diffuse encephalopathy with no focal 
>>>deficits. Unless you are  having a
>>>     battery of neurologic exams done on your postop patients, I wouldn't
>>>   place too
>>>     much credence in the amount of brain 
>>>damage you currently think is  being
>>>     inflicted on your patients. As we all know in adult cardiac surgery,
>>>   subtle
>>>     permanent personality changes may be the only manifestation of
>>>   perioperative
>>>     neurologic injury. Those usually aren't factored into the postop  stroke
>>>   rate.
>>>     Perhaps your kids would do better in the 1st grade if you  
>>>considered
>>>   adding this to
>>>     your technique.  I know that you can't 
>>>really  monitor its effect since I
>>>     presume you don't have a TEE scope small 
>>>enough to  acommodate an infant.
>>>   For
>>>     your larger patients, I would definitely  consider using a pediatric
>>>   scope.
>>>     Hal
>>> 
>>><BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> 
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>>
>>
>>--
>>Ben Bidstrup FRACS FRCSEd FEBCTS
>>Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
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-- 
Ben Bidstrup FRACS FRCSEd FEBCTS
Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon


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